Dorothy Dorris Lowe Goethel

   At the age of 4 Dorothy's mother died and she was raised by Anna and John Hartman in Kelliher. The Hartman's had two daughters of their own, Wanda (Batchelder) and Florence (Dress). The following is an excerpt from Dorothy's book.  This was in the 1920's and 1930's.

   My love of animals took me down the street to Mr. Blocker's blacksmith shop. Mr Blocker had many horses to shoe. I liked to watch him shape the shoes over the blazing coals, cool them and carefully fasten them to the horse's hooves. Most of all, I liked the horses. I discovered they liked to be petted and brushed and Mr. Blocker was pleased to have me brush them. Sometimes when Mr. Blocker wasn't busy, he formed figures out of horseshoe nails and scraps of metal. He seemed pleased to have an appreciative spectator and I felt that he liked to have me there.
   There was another fried who I liked to visit. Mr. Benson was a big man with bright red hair and freckles who not only served as the Sheriff but was also caretaker for the water works. The water works was in a building by the town hall. the lower part of the town hall housed the fire hoses and ladders. The upper level was used for meetings and local dances. Mr. Benson cared for it all, including the water tower.
   I (the trapeze performer) wanted to climb that water tower, which of course, Mr. Benson did not approve. When I didn't find him sitting on his bench outside the building, I would take a chance and start climbing. Most of the time I didn't get very far before he came back and called me to get down. One time I almost made it to the top where there was a walk that had an iron fence around it, which was my goa. That day Mr. Benson was not the good-natured, jovial Irishman I knew. His scolding was most severe. He sent me home, saying he would tell Mother.
   There was another friend down on the corner of main street. He was a salesman by the name of Jim Armstrong. I thought he had the kindest happiest looking face ever. He was kind to little children and not only did he treat us like we were big people but he gave us special treats.  He gave three pennies worth of candy for one penny.
   A threatening fire made Jim a hero to all the little fold in Kelliher. Strong winds had whipped small fires around the village into a raging fire almost surrounding the town. The men and boys were busy trying to wet down and put out fires near the railroad tracks. The firefighters hoped the women and children could be taken to safety in a couple of boxcars standing at the station.
   Meanwhile, the women and children gathered on the main corner downtown. Mother had hastily taken insurance papers out of the desk along with favorite pictures.I rescued my new red bedroom slippers that had painted animals around the cuff. I knew this was really serious but it was exciting too.
   As everyone huddled together with eyes stinging and coughing from the smoke, Jim appeared, pulling the fire hose wagon. He said, "Don't worry. Jim will take care of you!" I knew he would. However, Jim didn't have to keep his promise. The winds lessened and the fire was put under control.
   Most summers were pretty uneventful except for the 4th of July parade and when the  gypsies came to Kelliher. One day Wanda had an idea. We would dress like gypsies and go out in Mrs. Sterling's garden. The garden was behind her house toward the forest. Mother was at her sewing club so we had plenty of time to find colorful clothing with bright scarves for our heads, tied as we remembered how the gypsies had tied theirs. We went up and down the rows pretending to pick vegetables. We saw the ladies leave the sewing club looking at us as they hurried home to lock their doors. I couldn't remember anyone having anything stolen by the gypsies, but the far of them was there.
   Wanda and I went home and entered the back door to the storeroom where we could take off our telltale clothing. Mother was locking the doors and telling us about the gypsies in Mrs. Sterling's garden. It was wonderful until our neighbor Johnny came up to the back porch where the family was gathered after supper. He said, "hey Dorothy, what were you and Wanda doing in those funny clothes this afternoon?"  Our excapade revealed! Mother was angry. "I'm so ashamed of you girls. I don't think I'll call the ladies in the sewing club and tell them it was you." We were sent to bed early!
   Mother didn't really approve of the kind of celebration Dad was having on Christmas Eve. Dad was serving Tom and Jerry's, plus all the good food Mother had provided, to his "key men", leaders of the logging camps..the blacksmiths,k head horseman and cooks. Mother could never forgive the manners of some of the guest.
    One big Scotsman in particular was Mother's object of dismay. He was "Big Mac", who wore a ferocious looking mustache. When Mac completed drinking or eating he would curl his bottom lip around his mustache and rescue the leftovers with a resounding smack. It made a big slurpy sound to which Mother instinctively flinched.
    Every Christmas season the Lutheran church held a Christmas party  a few nights before Christmas Eve to which everyone was invited. On Christmas Eve the Presbyterian church welcomed everyone to celebrate the coming of the Christ child.
  I was invited to sing "Away in the Manger" at both celebrations several times. I sang at eh the end of each program, just before Santa came and gave candy to all the children. Then the good ministers blessed everyone and wished a Merry Christmas to all. The love and camaraderie was contagious. Stepping out into the bright moonlight or falling snow, and walking home with the friendly neighbors was not only a happy time but a  spiritual experience as everyone spoke of the Christ child with awe and love.
  
  

Mrs. Anna Miller

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   Anna Maus was born March 27, 1882 in Dayton and she married Ernest Miller  in January 1903.
   Mrs. Miller was the first bride to homestead here in January 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Miller went to Bemidji with horse and wagon to get married. It took all day to go, they married, spent the night and returned the next day.  They had their honeymoon dinner at George Gunderson's 'Half-Way' house in Cormant.
   Anna lived with her husband on North Battle River for six years. During this time they fought the great battle of  mosquitoes and pole trails.  She usually spent the summers alone while her husband traveled to Stevens county where his father owned a threshing machine on which he worked.
   Mrs. Miller recalls the time a storm felled a tree which tore the tar paper off the roof of their cabin, forcing her to grab the oilcloth off the table and wrapped it around the mattress, attempting to keep it dry. She then built a fire and sat with her feet in the oven, holding an umbrella over her head, waiting for the storm to cease.
   In April 1909 the Millers moved to Kelliher. The Kelliher Hospital was directly across the road from them.  Most of Kelliher was, at that time, in the north end of town. The south end was considered the 'rough' part of town and there was very little law. It was a terrible wild town with many saloons and much gambling.  The Crookston Lumber company alone had over a hundred men hired and there were many lumberjacks.
   There was no Catholic Church here, but a priest came from Blackduck and services were held in the Miller home.  Later, arrangements were made so the city hall was used until a church was built.
   Mrs. Miller worked with all the local organizations and remembered how the women went out with spades and axes and started clearing a spot for a cemetery.  After they had completed a day's work the men became ambitious and finished "Fairview" cemetery!
   Mrs. Miller served as Postmaster for 16 years from 1918 to 1934, going to work at 7 A.M. until 10:30 P.M.  She received $90.00 per month and provided her own fuel.  Anna was also the first librarian, collected and arranged the donated books.
   The Millers had two children, Earl, who died at the age of one and a half, and Edward, a Kelliher resident.  They also raised a niece.  Mrs. Miller has been a resident of Kelliher for 49 years.  She has ten grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.  She passed away in 1966. Her husband, Ernest died in 1938.
  
  

 Mrs.   Anna Miller

   Anna Maus was born March 27, 1882 in Dayton and she married Ernest Miller in January 1903.
   Mrs. Miller was the first bride to homestead here in January 1903. Ernest and Anna went to Bemidji with horse and wagon to get married.  It took all day to go, get married, spend the night and returned the next day.  They had their honeymoon dinner at George Gunderson's 'Half-Way' house in Cormant.
   Anna lived with her husband on North Battle River for six years.  During this time they fought the great battle of mosquitoes and pole trails.  She usually spent the summers alone while her husband traveled to Stevens County where his father owned a threshing machine on which he worked.
  Mrs. Miller recalls the time a storm felled a tree which tore the tar paper off the roof of their cabin forcing her to grab the oilcloth off the table and wrapping it around the mattress, attempting to keep it dry.  She then built a fire and sat with her feet in the over and held an umbrella over her head until the storm passed.
   In April 1909 the Millers moved to Kelliher.  The Kelliher Hospital was directly across the road from them.  Most of Kelliher was, at that time, in the north end of town.  The south end was considered the 'rough' part of town and there was very little law.  It was a terrible wild town with many saloons and much gambling.  The Crookston Lumber Company alone had over a hundred men hired.  There were many lumberjacks in town.
   There was no Catholic Church but a priest came from Blackduck and services were held in the Miller home.  Later, arrangements were made so the the city hall was used until a church was built.
   Mrs. Miller worked with all the local organizations and remembered how the women went out with spades and axes and started clearing a spot for a cemetery.  After they had completed a day's work the men became ambitious and finished "Fairview" cemetery!
   Mrs. Miller served as Postmaster for 16 years from 1918 to 1934, going to work at 7 A.M. until 10:30 P.M.   She received $90.00 per month and provided her own fuel.  She was also the first librarian, collecting and arranging the donated books.
   The Millers had two  sons.  Earl, who died at the age of one and a half years and Edward, a Kelliher resident.  They also raised a niece. 
    Mrs. Miller passed away in 1966 and Ernest in 1938.

Ole Henjum

r   In the year 1884 Ole Henjum left a flourishing business in Bergin, Norway, to come to America with his wife, Marie.  They arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the time of a depression in the United Stats. Ole was told that he would never find work, but he could speak, read and write English, so he thought that would help.  The day after arriving he went out to look for work, and he got a job right away. Later he went to work as a sweeper for the Pillsbury Mill.  He worked his way up to head machinist and foreman. He worked there for 18 years, then he moved to Northern Minnesota.
  On March 28, 1903, Ole left Minneapolis with his wife and their 3 children, Carl 12; Clara 9; and Olive 4. They would make their home on some land Ole had homesteaded about 18 miles north of Blackduck. the family doctor had advised the move for Marie's health. She was expecting at the time, and in August twin sisters, Hannah and Theodora, joined the family circle. They were the first set of twins to be born up in this area. 
  The country was all wilderness at that time, with very few settlers. The nearest town was Blackduck. there were really no roads in those days, just winding wagon paths cut through the woods, which made rough riding or walking. At the time Ole took the homestead, he had to walk from Tenstrike along the tracks where the railroad was being built to get to Blackduck. The clay along the route was so sticky he had to stop every little while to scrape it off his shoes.
  Ole and family took the train from Minneapolis to Blackudck. Traveling with them was another family, the Lars Gjermundboe family, who had also taken up a homestead in the same area. They stayed at the hotel in Blackduck that night. The next day the group began the trip to the homestead. They followed a creek and a road that had been cut out through the woods. There was heavy snow on the ground, and they traveled in a sleigh. Tied behind the sleigh were 2 cows.  A calf and the family dog were also with them. By evening they had arrived in Cormant. They stayed there one week.
  During the week they sent supplies brought with them from Minneapolis up to the homestead with the tote team. Ole had brought along enough supplies for a year to a year and a half - flour, sugar, coffee, dried fruit, clothing, tapioca, etc. By the end of the week all supplies had been sent; only enough for breakfast on the morning of the move was kept. That Sunday they set out expecting to be at the homestead by noon. With them was a  Hanson boy whose father had a homestead near Henjum's - he had been hired to help with the move and another lady, Annie Nelson who had a homestead in the area. After traveling about 3 miles they arrived at a creek that had to be crossed. The creek had overflowed its banks and was like a wide river. Further down stream were some loot-logs for crossing. They thought the creek looked shallow enough to ford, but when the horses got out into the middle of the stream, the wagon box started floating off the running gears and it tipped. They got it straightened up again, but everything loose in the wagon box floated off down stream and was lost. A new pair of rubber boots for Clara and several of her mother's house dresses were among the lost items. A neighbor found some of the waring apparel about a mile and a half down stream during the next haying season. All that was salvaged was some crackers. The children were not used to roughing it, and by noon they were getting pretty  hungry. They ate crackers, and their mother milked the cow right into their mouths since there was no container to milk into.  Finally everyone and everything was moved across the creek. The children were carried across the foot logs.
  the group moved on until they arrived at the next creek to cross - Hayden Creek. When they got there, the bridge was partly under water, and leaning. Ole took the horses by the bridle and led them across the bridge. Suddenly the bridge gave way and all that could be seen was the ear of one of the horses and Ole's head - he was up to his neck in water. His wife was sure that he would be run over by the floundering horses and the wagon and that he would be drowned. She turned away because she could not stand to watch. Ole got the horses across the creek, but his wife, the children, and Annie could not cross because the bridge was gone. It was getting dusk.  Annie knew where the Hanson home was and how to get there. She told Ole that she would take is wife and children there. By that time it was getting dark and wolves and lynx could be heard howling in the woods. Annie led the way along the trail, leading the co. Carl followed her leading the dog. Mrs. Henjum, Olive, and Clara followed, picking out the path in the moonlight. At last they reached the Hanson place. The children were so thirsty by this time, they lay down on the bank and drank right out of the creek. Mr. Hanson heard them and came out with a lantern and helped the women and children. They stayed there for one week until the water went down and a new bridge could be built. During the week Annie waded through the meadow to et hay from a stack for the cow, carrying it on her back.
​  At the end of the week the bridge had been rebuilt and Mrs. Henjum and the children final got to their new home.